


Crossing the Line

by Blessyoursocks123



Category: The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24237658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blessyoursocks123/pseuds/Blessyoursocks123
Summary: Inspired by a song from Tangled the series believe it or not.Here is written the turning point of Ratigan's career, finally tired of being humiliated by everyone in the higher class, finally done with being told that he's something he is not. He decides to take a stand and take that step into the world that he would be remembered forever for.
Relationships: ? - Relationship, Basil of Baker Street/Padraic Ratigan, Possibly?? - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	Crossing the Line

“Ratigan! Ratigan wait! Padriac PLEASE!”

Ratigan did not slow his long and angry strides out from the main hall, he felt enraged by those men, by those imbeciles that had the gall the call themselves 'gentleman!' It proved to him that he would never gain a place of respect amongst his peers, students and everyone in London!

The rodent was not an emotional man, he was not one who gave into illogical drama... However, right now, he could feel angry tears well up in his eyes. How could he not? He had spent months... YEARS trying to perfect his skills, studying hard every waking moment, missing out upon a childhood he could have had, developing theories and teaching classes, feeding the new minds of tomorrow and what for? Nothing.

The most he had amounted to was that of a Professor at the University, a University that since day ONE had decided to wreck havoc on his life. Parents would refuse to send their children to his lessons, or even to the school altogether, teachers were in a uproar and heaven forbid that a RAT would walk the halls of THIER prestigious school! He had to deal with insults every day from parent, teacher and student alike!

Had he not proved them wrong yet? Had he not PROVED that he was smarter and more gentlemanly than ANY other mouse here? He had provided them all a great service, not only had he drove his mind into this, but his pocket too, he had provided the university with money to further the studies and experiments into physics and mathematics. He had done everything, absolutely EVERYTHING in his power to prove to them that he was so much MORE than what they saw him to be.

But it was not enough. Maybe it would never be enough.

That awards ceremony, that meeting held in the main assembly hall of the school, it was meant to be his triumph, his strength, for everyone to look at him with RESPECT. But no.... No... The other professors had stolen his theories for themselves, they had ridiculed him, humiliated him and who would they believe? Not him, not someone of HIS background, despite the fact he had worked so HARD to become what he is today.

None of that mattered, NOTHING he did mattered. So what did he do? He decided to throw the table of which he had been sitting. He had STRANGLED the principle of the university, he had yelled all the anger and obscenities at his colleagues and the odd student who had attended. If they truly feared him for what he was, then that is what he would BECOME.

It had all been riding up to this, the only reason he had managed not to kill anyone was that of a mouse, a mouse who had stood by him for years and told him everything would turn out fine, that everyone would someday believe in him as he did. But that was all lies. He did not understand, he would never understand.

And yet Ratigan could feel his heartstrings being yanked at as his dear friend shouted out to him, yelling at him to stop, begging him. But he did not slow, even as the mouse gained and continued to speak.

“PLEASE! Ratigan! This has to STOP!” He called out, attempting to keep up with the rodent's long strides “Whatever this is-Whatever has caught you in this ill state of mind, we can fix it! You must stop, you have to turn around and-and-SORT this OUT! We can do it, together!”

Ratigan snarled angrily and finally halted in his tracks, tossing his body around and shooting his head down to the mouse's level. 

“NO! THIS, THIS HERE! THIS has to stop!” He objected, gesturing to the mouse up and down. “You seem to still think that you're my friend, but let me assure you, you are NOT! Have you not noticed?! How much you PATRONISE me and condescend me?! You always have and you always will! Is it not enough that YOU have got everything you ever wanted?! People respect you, despite your obvious distractions and chance to start up your own business! YOU can do that! I cannot! So don't you DARE look at me like that, you were NEVER on my side, Basil, not even ONCE!”

There was a heavy silence in the hallway and Ratigan stared the mouse down. Basil stood still on the spot, his hands held to his chest over his thundering heart. This couldn't be it, this couldn't be the end of what they had grown together over these last few years? His eyes were wide and hopeful, still hoping that underneath all of this new violence and outburst of emotion was the Ratigan he befriended all that time ago.

“Ratigan... Please, listen...”

Tsking through gritted teeth, the Professor rose up to his full height and turned away, but something held him back even now and his ear perked. “I'm listening...”

“This... This can't be true... I KNOW it isn't true...” Basil gasped out and reached out a hand towards Ratigan's much larger frame. “Look, look at me... I know you feel this is not the right thing, you KNOW that if you take this path you will be condemned by everyone in the academic community, the police have been called, yes-B-but, we can both fix it! Look at me... You know we can fix this! Just like everything we've always done!”

Ratigan's head tilted slightly back to Basil's, his eyes looking heavy and tired, his body relaxed and drooped slightly upon seeing the mouse's face. Ears fell back against his skull... Basil.... Knew what to say but... This.... This was no longer what Ratigan wanted, was it? This was no longer something he could peruse, it was obvious that he could no longer credit himself in this world. Perhaps he had never really been a part of it. 

“Perhaps... I do think so...” He sighed heavily.

A weak and begging smile crossed Basil's face and he took Ratigan's arm gently. “Yes... And its not too late, we can go back and fix this.... Padraic.... I don't want to lose all this, lose US... We've come a long way together have we not?.... So... Before another line gets crossed my friend... Just... Just wait here and I can-”

“Wait?” Ratigan voice suddenly rose up. He suddenly realised. This was just what BASIL wanted, not HIM. Why was he still listening? Why did he have to wait longer for what he wanted? For what he DESERVED!! He deserved to be revered by the intellectual world, to be looked up to, sought out, people had to dream of BEING like him! He deserved to be rich, wealthy and doted upon, he deserved to be in the spotlight for a change, not those other Professors! Not the teachers or principle or well-doing students and most certainly not Basil.

HE was the better one here, the greatest mind this University had ever seen! 

No-

THE GREATEST MIND OF ALL OF LONDON!

“I will NOT wait any longer!” Ratigan's voice turned dark and evil, he GRIPPED Basil's wrist that had reached out to hold his arm and the mouse squeaked as the grip turned vice-like and threatened to break a bone. 

“I will NOT been deemed useless and cast aside because of this! For defending myself! For defending my intellect! There is always black and white, Basil! There is no in-between and no matter how hard I try, I will always be seen as that dark splash of colour against all your pristine mousedom lives! I have NEVER got the choices that you had been given, I had to start from the very bottom and climb all the way up to the top!” He had begun to shake Basil around in his hold now and Basil grabbed hold of his arm, his legs kicking about as he was lifted from the safety of the ground, tears in his own eyes.

“I will always be the loveless one between us two! You are with all those... Those 'blessed' mice who have had the chance to be something you wish! Well.... If that is the way things are, if there IS a line I must cross to become what I've always wanted to be... Then I will cross it! I will get EVERYTHING I deserve! And if you are against me.... Then this is over.... And that... Is. Just. FINE!”

He THREW Basil away to one side, the small mouse SLAMMED into the wall, a portrait hung there falling down along with him, limp against the hallway of the school. 

At this point, students, teachers and some of those from the assembly were beginning to congregate towards the source the yelling and shouting. Gasps were heard as they had JUST witness the training detective being thrown against the wall. 

Basil could only gasp for breath and watched as his one friend began to march off, enraged by the lies that had been fed to him since childhood. Oh but he had never given up on him, Basil had hoped against hope that Ratigan WOULD prove them all wrong but in a world where prejudice stated that he would never be worthy... How could he? Maybe he had been foolish to believe in such terrible dreams, he had been foolish along with the little others in Ratigan's life that had fed him the belief that he would be great some day.

That seed that had been planted within the Professor, grew into a thorn patch and with each prick and drawing of blood the rodent had begun to be poisoned by the plant of his mind. 

Upon leaving the University he did all that he had said he would. He became so much MORE than what those professors and students had thought of him, every single one of them would beg for his mercy as he stormed Tower Bridge as he made headlines with his Big Ben Caper. Ratigan became a name that all despised and feared, for others to respect and aspire to and why did he continue upon the path of violence and evil?

Because it was FUN.

No more being patient, no more holding back. It was HIS time now and he would take every single minute, every drop, every SMIDGE that was owed to him and as for Basil? Well, he could watch the world BURN by his hand!

No one, not even Basil would stand in his way.

All would bow before him.


End file.
